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Chaaturmaasya of Sanyasins

His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi

Every aasrama has its special dharma or duty. It has been enjoined that a Sanyasi should not remain in one place for any length of time. He has to be a Parivraajaka or wandering mendicant. The idea is that he should be moving from place to place, coming into contact with his lay disciples, ministering to their spiritual needs, and guiding them to regulate their lives according to the shaastras. This may be likened to “mass contact”, a term familiar in politics. If a Sanyasi remains in one place for a long time, there is the danger of his contracting ‘attachments’, or getting involved in local controversies. There is also the adage, “familiarity breeds contempt” and perhaps, that is one of the reasons why a Sanyasi is prohibited from staying at any one place.

This constant movement from place to place may prevent a Sanyasi from devoting sufficient time to meditation, and other spiritual practices, and to the acquisition of aatmajnaanam leading to the realization of the Ultimate Truth. Therefore, he is permitted to remain in one place during the chaaturmaasya period, commencing from the full moon in the month of Aani. This period also coincides with the rainy season, known as praavt season.

There is a reason behind the selection of this praavrt period for chaaturmaasya. The sanyaasa aasrama is essentially one of ahimsa – causing no harm to any living being. That is why a Sanyasi has to travel on foot. Even if one were to tread unwittingly on an insect while walking, there is every chance of one not causing its death, because the feet are so shaped that the insect can easily wriggle out through the gaps and curves. During the rainy season, numerous insects spring to life and infest pathways. Any travel during this period, will inevitably lead to the himsa causing pain or injury, to these insects. In fact, while making the sankalpa for chaaturmaasya, a sanyasi has to tell the assembled devotees, that the praavrt period is on, that he sees a host of life (prani samkulam) everywhere, and that if it is not inconvenient for them, he proposes to observe chaaturmaasyam in that place. The devotees, who feel honoured by the opportunity for this kainkarya (service), in their turn, request him to remain in their midst comfortably, and assure him that they will serve him to the best of their ability.

Making the chaaturmaasya sankalpa the Sanyasi says:

Praayena praavrishi praanisamkulam vartma drishtayate

Atasteshaam ahimsaarttham pakshaavai srutichoditaan

Stthaamaschaturomaasaan ataivaasati baadhake

On hearing this the devotees reply:

Nivasantu sukenaatra gamishyaamah krtaartaam

Yathaasakti cha shushrooshaam vayam mudaa

It is to enable Sanyasins to adhere to the principle of ahimsa, that they are prohibited from cooking their own food. In the process of cooking, insects that may happen to be in water, fire-wood, vegetables etc., will be destroyed, besides the germinating part of the grain. Therefore Sanyasins are enjoined to rest content with what householders give them as alms. They are also not permitted to pluck green leaves. That will be himsa to the plant, which also has life. In fact, there is no agni,(fire), for the sanyaasa aasrama. That is why they do not perform any homa (havan – sacrifice in fire).

The chaaturmaasya observance is a common feature of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The Asokan edicts, which are about 2,000 years old, show that chaaturmaasya, was observed for four months, as the name indicated. It is not clear as to when the period came to be reduced to two months. Probably the rule that a maasa (month) is synonymous with paksha (fortnight) – pakshovai maasah: came to be applied, and chaaturmaasya limited to four pakshas or two months.

There is a reference to chaaturmaasya in Srimad Bhagavatam also. It is recorded that when Sage Narada was asked as to how he became a great jnaani, he replied that when he was young boy, a number of Sanyasins happened to bserve chaaturmaasya at the place where he lived with his mother. Jnaana dawned on him as a result of eating the remnants of the food partaken by those great men.

A Sanyaasi takes the resolve to observe chaaturmaasya, after performing Vyaasa Pooja. This pooja is as important to Sanyasins as Upaakarmam is to those who belong to other aasramas. As custodians of the Vedas, it is our duty to preserve them in their pristine purity and effectiveness. The danda (stick) carried by a brahmachari, is symbolic of his determination to protect the Vedas at any cost. The object of Upaakarma is to revitalize the vedic mantras, should their efficacy be impaired, through causes like faulty pronunciation etc. The Vedas are recited on that day, after invoking the grace of Sri Veda Vyaasa, who perceived the Vedas through his spiritual powers and transmitted them for the benefit of the world, and invoking the grace of the rishis , who propagated the various khandaas of the Vedas. The presence of Sri Veda Vyaasa is invoked in a pot of water and worshipped. The Sama Vedins invoke the presence of the Khaanda Rishis in balls of earthor in arecanuts and worship them. Similarly the Sanyasis invoke the grace of Sri Veda Vyaasa and other preceptors of aatma jnaana, before coomencing their discipline of meditation, yoga and aatmavichaara. The aavaahana of the preceptors is done in lime fruits. Householders perform both pooja and homa in Upaakarma, whereas Sanyaasins perform only pooja on the Vyaasa Pooja day. Six groups of preceptors (moola prushas) of jnaana, each group consisting of five preceptors are worshipped.

The first group is called Krishna Panchaka and consists of

Sri Krishna
Vaasudeva
Pradyumna
Anirudha and
Sakarshana.

The five groups besides Sri Krishna Panchaka mentioned above are as follows:

1. Vyaasa Panchaka
Sri Veda Vyaasa
Sri Paila
Sri Vaisampayana
Sri Jaimini      and
Sri Sumantu

2. Bhagavatpadha Panchaka
Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadha
Sri Padmapaadacharya
Sri Sureshwaraacharya
Sri Hastaamalakaacharya   and
Sri Totakaachaarya

3. Sanaka Panchaka
Sri Sanaka
Sri Sanandana
Sri Sanaatana
Sri Sanat Kumara   and
Sri Sanatsujaata

4. Dravida Panchaka
Sri Dravidaacharya
Sri Gaudapaadacharya
Sri Govinda Bhagavatpaadaacharya
Sri Sankshepakacharya            and
Sri Vivaranaacharya

5. Gurupanchakam
Guru
Paramaguru
Parameshtiguru
Paraaparaguru of the sanyasin
and other promulgators of the sampradhaya (anye brahmavidyaa sampradaaya kartaah guravah:)

Worship is also offered to Sri Suka, Sri Narada, Sri Durga,

Sri Ganapathy, Sri Kshetra palakaas, Sri Saraswathi, and the ten guardians of the directions, beginning with Indra.

Finally pooja is offered to Suddha Chaitanya whose avaahana is made in the Saaligramah. An omnibus pooja (samashti pooja) is performed at the end.

The seniority of the Sanyasin is determined not by his age but by the number of Vyasa Poojas he has performed. It may happen that a young sanyasin has performed more vyasa pooja than an aged one. In that case, the aged sanyasi will have to do obeisance to the young one. This practice is similar to the practice, among householders, of a person prostrating before a lady younger than himself, should the husband of that lady be senior to him.
What is known as Vyasa Poornima in the South is known as Guru Poornima in the North. On that day, every person makes it a point to make offerings to all those who occupy the position of the teacher to him. For the Smartha Sanyasins, the Chaturmaasya begins with Vyasa Pooja and ends with Viswaroopa Yatra. The vaishnava Sanyasins start commence Chaaturmaasya with sankalpam and end with utthaanam.

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